Over the course of his tenure at the top of WWE, having to let people go became a regular part of the job for Vince McMahon. Whether that was Superstars who hadn’t quite made the grade, or stars whose best days were now behind them, sometimes it was best for all involved if they went their separate ways.
While the ultimate decision to fire anyone within WWE was made by McMahon, rarely did the former Chairman pick up the phone to deliver the news himself. In more recent years, large rounds of WWE releases were handled by then-Head of Talent Relations John Laurinatis. However, when WWE had to part ways with Bryan Danielson, then known as Daniel Bryan, McMahon handled the task himself.
Vince McMahon – “I’m Sorry I Have To Do This”
Bryan Danielson signed with WWE in 2009, having previously been signed as a developmental talent in 2000 and appearing as an uncontracted performer in 2002 and 2003. After being sent to Florida Championship Wrestling the star was given the name ‘Daniel Bryan’ and eventually became one of the ‘rookies’ in the original format of NXT in 2010. On the show, the American Dragon’s mentor was The Miz, and the pair featured on both NXT and Monday Night Raw.
Following his involvement in NXT, Bryan became part of the Nexus, who were the ‘rookies’ from NXT season one. The group made their stunning debut on the June 7th episode of Raw, attacking John Cena and destroying the ringside area. During the chaos Bryan strangled ring announcer Justin Roberts with his own tie. This was deemed to be a little too far for WWE and their sponsors and the star was fired days later.
During an appearance on Talk Is Jericho back in 2014, Danielson revealed that Vince McMahon apologised to him while explaining that he was being let go.
“I was talking to Miz and he was like, ‘Don’t worry about it; it’ll all blow over,'” Bryan recalled. “Friday I get a call from Vince himself, telling me they had to let me go. It’s funny – one of my responses was that I just wasn’t that bothered. He says, ‘I’m sorry we have to do this,’ and I say not to feel bad for me, because I’m going to make more money than I’ve ever had before just based on the independents. I knew that took him aback a little bit.”
After being let go Danielson briefly returned to the independent scene before re-signing with WWE just months later. The star went on to become one of the most popular stars in recent WWE history before joining AEW in September 2021.
H/t to WrestleZone